South Florida`s Other National Park Even Some Of Its Neighbors And Visitors Are Unaware Of Biscayne National Park.

April 2, 1988|By MARLA WILLIAMS, Staff Writer

If you`re like most folks, you`ve never seen it, probably never even heard of it and possibly won`t believe it when we tell you.

But, there really is a Biscayne National Park.

``You must mean Everglades National Park, madam,`` the telephone operator says haughtily. ``I am a native Floridian and I assure you there is no . . . uh, hold on . . . ``

(Listen carefully now; he`s about to discover Florida has two national parks.)

``Wow. I do have a listing for Biscayne National Park.

``My apologies, madam. And, er, where the heck is this place?``

Southeast of Homestead. And you might want to make a note of it. Because getting that listing -- even finding this park -- can be tough.

``There are people right down the street from the entrance who have never heard of Biscayne National Park,`` park ranger Bonnie Foist explains. ``Even some of the regular visitors don`t know they`re cruising protected waters or camping on protected beaches. And when they run into a ranger, they`re surprised.``

Laughing, Foist adds, ``They usually ask us what we`re doing here.``

A mere two-hour drive from downtown Fort Lauderdale, three hours from West Palm Beach, Biscayne National Park stretches south from Key Biscayne to just north of Key Largo. It encompasses a shimmering 181,500 acres of crystal blue bay waters, thickly forested keys and glossy green mangrove shoreline.

Established as a national monument in 1968, Biscayne became a national park in 1980. There was very little fanfare on dedication day, in part because the fight to protect the area from developers had left many of the park`s promoters weary.

``There was an incredibly bitter and drawn-out battle over this area,`` Foist says. ``As far back as the 1920s, there were plans to develop these keys into another Miami Beach. Fortunately, there were also a lot of people who thought this area should remain free of high-rise buildings and neon lights.``

Fortunately, they succeeded. Even today, Biscayne is a separate place, a quiet retreat.

BEST BY BOAT

Here, water and sky overwhelm the eye, crowding out images of concrete and steel. The smell of exhaust disappears on the salty sea breezes. Warblers and screeching sea birds sing harmony with rustling palms and pines in a kind of lullaby.

Unfortunately, you really need a boat, or the price of a charter ticket, to appreciate this string of 44 islands.

If the park has any drawbacks, other than the ever-present mosquitoes, it is that much of it is accessible only by boat. And even then, only those who snorkel or scuba are able to see up close the rare natural treasures of Biscayne. Established primarily to preserve and protect a marine environment, only 5 percent of Biscayne National Park is above sea level.

But what is underneath is so spectacular that even the most serious landlubber will want to dive right in.

Biscayne`s intense blue waters bathe the northernmost living coral reef in the continental United States. In the deeper waters, spectacular growths of elkhorn and staghorn corals, growing in depths of 10 to 60 feet, jut upward from the sea bottom. In the shallow waters behind the outer reef are patch reefs. Here, where the waves are gentler, are mountain star and brain corals. Delicate sea fans wave in the currents. Bright tropical fish zip in and out of the reef.

Because Biscayne is not well-known, the waters here are not as cloudy and the reefs less ragged than farther south off Key Largo.

If you don`t own a boat, a private concessionaire does offer trips out to the park, complete with diving gear. The cost for the 2 1/2-hour adventure runs about $25.

Or you can simply take a cruise. Cost ranges from $8 for children 12 and under to about $15 for adults. For the price, you can choose between two day trips: A four-hour glass-bottom boat excursion from park headquarters out to the keys and along the patch reefs. Or an excursion to Elliot Key and Boca Chita, with about 2 1/2 hours ashore to picnic or explore the islands.

Once you arrive on the islands, you`ll be sorely tempted to simply lounge and listen. But stir yourself. Spray your clothes liberally with insect repellent and take at least a short walk.

Tropical life thrives on these huge, fossilized coral rocks.

Gumbo limbo, Jamaican dogwood, strangler fig, mahogany and bromeliads (in bloom this time of year) grow together, making these keys a kind of subtropical island standout.

If you don`t like the idea of simply tromping off into these hardwood hammocks, there are clearly marked nature trails, maintained by the National Park Service, on three of the islands, Boca Chita, Elliot Key and Adams Key.

BOCA CHITA KEY

Just 1 1/2 hours by boat from Miami, Boca Chita recently has been discovered by the fun-in-the-sun party crowd, many of whom are unaware the island is part of a national park.